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COS Grad Programs Ranked Nationally
Several graduate programs in the University of Central Florida College of Sciences were ranked in the top 200 in their respective fields by U.S. News & World Report’s Best Graduate Schools of 2018. The following COS graduate programs were ranked in the top 200 of their fields: Physics – No. 85 Sociology – No. 102 […]
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UCF’s Crime Lab Combats Human Trafficking Through Research
UCF Department of Sociology’s “crime lab,” a team of faculty and students, is trying to help police and nonprofit agencies better understand human trafficking in hopes of stopping it. While human trafficking is the latest crime the UCF team is tackling, it has been working with all sorts of crime data. The team works with […]
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Sociology Alumnus’ Pursuit of Education and Recovery
For the past decade Thomas Hall, Ph.D., has been at the forefront of implementing one of the most premier prevention programs in the country at the University of Central Florida. UCF has been recognized by the US Department of Education, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and the state of Florida as […]
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Victim of Domestic Violence Uses Past Experience to Initiate Change
University of Central Florida sociology doctoral student Donna King has taken her tragic experience and turned it into an opportunity for change. King, along with her husband Attorney Jerrell Dayton King, recently conducted research on the U.S. court system and its impact on victims of domestic violence. The research, A Call for Limiting Absolute Privilege: […]
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Open Reef Drones Take on Environmental Conservation
Geographic information systems (GIS), and related geospatial technologies like drones, are being used to do wonders for our planet. With the growing issue of climate change and over-development, University of Central Florida researchers have taken the initiative to protect the areas with the greatest risks: islands and coastal areas. UCF Assistant Professor of GIS in […]
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Peer Milk-Sharing Participants Generally Keep it Clean
Story by Zenaida Gonzalez Kotala, UCF Today Mothers who want the benefits of breast milk for their babies but can’t produce the substance often turn to milk-sharing networks. A new study from the University of Central Florida found that although not a recommended practice, those who participate in milk-sharing networks generally follow good hygiene, which is […]
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Feminine Rivalry, Partner Violence, and Inauthenticity Work
Assistant Professor in the UCF Department of Sociology Amanda Anthony, Ph.D., had her diverse research published in three articles throughout 2016. In March, 2016, her paper titled ‘When Beauty Brings Out the Beast: Female Comparisons and the Feminine Rivalry’ was published in the journal Gender Issues. Anthony worked with UCF sociology doctoral student Sarah Okorie […]
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UCF Chimes in on Florida’s Puerto Rican Population Growth
The University of Central Florida was well represented at a recent workshop held at the Orange County Commission Chamber on Feb. 3, 2017. UCF Associate Professor of sociology, Fernando Rivera, Ph.D., along with several other UCF professors, presented their research at the Puerto Rican Demographic Workshop. The workshop was led by UCF political science graduate […]
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UCF Sociologists Encourage Social Activism
Melanie Sberna Hinojosa, Ph.D., and Ramon Hinojosa, Ph.D, assistant professors in the Department of Sociology, were selected to give a presentation on the role of civic engagement in undergraduate leadership. The presentation, held as a part of the University of Central Florida’s LEAD Scholars Leadership Week, will take place in Feb., 2017. The presentation titled […]
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Spring Faculty Fellows Promote Women Excellence
A group of University of Central Florida faculty members were selected as faculty fellows of the UCF Center for Success of Women Faculty for spring 2017. College of Sciences faculty Melanie Sberna Hinojosa, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Sociology, and Beatriz M. Reyes-Foster, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology, along with […]
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Chairs and Directors Leadership Circle
Four University of Central Florida department chairs from the College of Sciences have been selected to be in the UCF Office of Faculty Excellence’s Chairs and Directors Leadership Circle. Tosha Dupras, Ph.D., anthropology chair, Kerstin Hamann, Ph.D., political science chair, Elizabeth Mustaine, Ph.D., sociology chair, and Graham Worthy, Ph.D., biology chair are part of the […]
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Major Growth for UCF Social Sciences
The University of Central Florida’s Social Sciences Interdisciplinary Bachelor of Science degree has seen a rapid increase of new students in the past year. In 2016 over the spring, summer and fall, 19 students graduated with social sciences degrees. From fall of 2015 to fall of 2016, 32 more students enrolled in the program. 118 […]
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The Coordinates of Success
Amanda Ashby, a University of Central Florida senior majoring in sociology, was thrilled when she was awarded a student assistantship for the annual Esri FedGIS Conference. The conference, held this year in Washington, DC, focuses on the high-tech field of geographic information systems, or GIS. GIS is a system that is designed to capture, store, […]
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Examining Veterans’ Musculoskeletal Health
Two researchers in the Department of Sociology at the University of Central Florida recently had their paper accepted to the peer-reviewed open access journal Public Library of Science (PLOS ONE). Assistant Professors Ramon Hinojosa, Ph.D., and Melanie Sberna Hinojosa, Ph.D., collaborated on their paper entitled “Activity Limiting Musculoskeletal Conditions in Veteran and Non-Veteran Populations Using the 2013 National Health Interview Survey.” […]
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UCF Sociologists Research Toward a Healthier Community
Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Central Florida Melanie Sberna Hinojosa, Ph.D., has been leading sociology students through trailblazing research. Two of her papers focusing on public health were recently published in academic journals. The paper “Using Andersen’s Behavioral Model to Predict Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Participation among U.S. […]
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COS Celebrates Fall 2016 Grads
On Friday, December 16, 2016 the University of Central Florida’s College of Sciences celebrated more than 1,000 students graduating from the college. The college hosted its traditional graduation reception immediately following the afternoon ceremony for its graduates to celebrate with their faculty, friends and family. The event, held in the UCF Psychology Building, hosted more […]
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UCF Sociology Represented at the American Society of Criminology
Members of the UCF Department of Sociology were present in significant numbers at the 2016 annual meeting of the American Society of Criminology (ASC) held November 16-19 in New Orleans. The ASC is the primary professional organization for academics and practitioners with interests in understanding how crime is shaped by society and, in turn, influences […]
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UCF Sociologists Research Children’s Health
Sociologists at the University of Central Florida are actively researching issues surrounding children’s health. Assistant Professor of Sociology Melanie Sberna Hinojosa, Ph.D., is at the forefront of research on this important topic. As part of a grant provided through the Office of Research and Commercialization at UCF for $7500, Sberna Hinojosa formed the UCF Child […]
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Sociology Professor Appointed to Area Editor of ‘TRAILS’
Professor of Sociology at the University of Central Florida Elizabeth Grauerholz, Ph.D., has been appointed as area editor for the American Sociological Association’s TRAILS (Teaching Resources and Innovations Library for Sociology). TRAILS is an electronic database of peer-reviewed teaching and learning materials, such as syllabi, assignments, and class activities designed for teaching sociology. Grauerholz will […]
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Researching Toward a Healthier Community
A paper recently published by Yingru Li, Ph.D., assistant professor of Geographical Information Systems at the University of Central Florida’s Department of Sociology, assessed an issue of great importance in the U.S. According to Li, childhood obesity rate has tripled in the United States in the past 30 years. Because of obesity-related illnesses, children are […]
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Sociology Student Maps His Way to Success
Nicholas Altizer from the University of Central Florida’s Department of Sociology has been chosen as a virtual intern for United States Agency for International Development’s Geocenter. The internship lasts from late January to the beginning of May. The internship is with YouthMappers, a program that engages university and high school students by allowing them to […]
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GIS Professor Appointed as Associate Editor
Timothy L. Hawthorne, Ph.D., assistant professor of geographic information systems in the University of Central Florida Department of Sociology, has been appointed as an associate editor of the “Journal of Geography.” The academic journal is an online and print publication that showcases the research of geographers and spatially-oriented scholars. The journal’s website describes the publication […]
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UCF Sociologists Collaborate for Prevention
Assistant Professors of UCF sociology Amy Reckdenwald, Ph.D., and Adam Pritchard, Ph.D., have been working with the Brevard County Strangulation Prevention Project (BCSPP) for the last two years. The collaboration is for a project created to improve police response to strangulation in domestic violence cases in Brevard County. The project has developed and implemented new […]
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Animals and Society Chair-Elect
Elizabeth Grauerholz, Ph.D., was appointed chair-elect of the Animals and Society section of the American Sociological Association. Grauerholz is director of social sciences and a professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Central Florida. The Animals and Society section’s purpose is to encourage and support the development of theory, research and teaching […]
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Sociology Professor Supports Internationalization at UCF
Fernando Rivera, Ph.D., associate professor and associate chair in the Department of Sociology at the University of Central Florida, is working to internationalize the curriculum at the university. This academic year Rivera is serving as Faculty Fellow assisting the International Affairs and Global Strategies (IAGS) at UCF on the internalization of the curriculum and other international initiatives. He is a […]
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UCF Sociology Team Presents in South Africa
Three sociology researchers from the University of Central Florida presented at an international conference on violence prevention in South Africa. The conference titled Preventing Violence: From Scientific Excellence to Effective Practice was held September 8-9, 2016 in Cape Town. The conference presents an opportunity for researchers from all relevant academic disciplines working on violence and […]
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Sociology Alumna Empowers Women
An alumna from the University of Central Florida is using her people skills to support women in her community. Mónica Méndez, Ph.D., ’02, ’08, was honored on March 3 as a 2016 College of Sciences Outstanding AlumKnight award recipient by the Department of Sociology at UCF. Méndez currently serves as the CEO of Dress for […]
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Sociology Makes Most Affordable List
The UCF Department of Sociology has made SR Education Group’s 2017 list of most affordable online social science degrees. The list is comprised of 24 online schools that offer the most affordable social science degrees. UCF sociology’s online bachelor’s degree falls at number 17 on the list. Other online degree rankings from UCF include the […]
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GIS REU Site Wraps Up Successful Start
The first ever UCF Geographic Information Systems Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) was a huge success this summer. The international REU site, held in Orlando and Belize, was funded by the National Science Foundation. The program hosted eight competitive undergraduate students from across the country. The eight scholars, including one UCF sociology student Amanda Ashby, […]
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New Sociology Program Directors
Two faculty members have taken on new roles this fall in the Department of Sociology at the University of Central Florida. Amy Donley, Ph.D., and Jason Ford, Ph.D., are working as program directors with high hopes for student opportunities. Donley is now the undergraduate program director in the sociology department. Donley earned her doctoral degree […]